A Game For The Cunning
by Star-Of-Hearts
Summary: Cassiopeia loved her brother. But sometimes he was a total idiot. That's why she decided to take matters, and his love life, into her own hands. Will things go the way she expects? AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright so I took this idea from another story and I'm making it my own. There's gonna be different things I'm sure of it. Our stories have already started out much different. Hopefully you guys like this. :)**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot. And some characters you may not recognize :)**

**Chapter One**

**The Train  
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Cassie looked at the window, watching the rolling hills of Scotland float by. She subconsciously brought her hand up to touch her hair, softly touching the French braid that held her hair together. Things were going by too fast, just last year she had turned 5 and was barely half her older brother's size. But now she was 11, going off to Hogwarts, and growing up more quickly than she could ever have imagined. She took a deep breath and silently let it all flow out of her. It was so beautiful in Scotland. Her parents almost bought a home in Scotland, but decided France or Italy would probably be a better choice. They knew their kids would be living in Scotland at Hogwarts, and would probably want different scenery when they came home or went on vacation even. Cassie started to think about what life at Hogwarts would be like. She had never seen the castle before, she only knew what it was like from what her older brother had said about it. She started imagining what things would look like, what house she got sorted into, who her friends would be, and was lost deep in her own thoughts. She didn't hear the compartment door open and was accompanied by another girl for awhile before she noticed.

Cassie looked over at the girl and nearly jumped out of her skin. "HOLY CRAP!" She screamed. The girl seemed unperturbed, if anything, she seemed amused at Cassie's reaction to her apparently sudden appearance. "Where the hell did you come from!" Cassie gasped clutching her chest and breathing heavily. The other girl grinned even more and waited until Cassie was a little bit more calm to start talking.

"My name's Victoria. I came in a few minutes ago and you were staring out the window." She said simply. She didn't say why she came in, she just came in, and sat down. Cassie looked at her oddly, but knew there was no point in figuring out witches. They were all crazy in their own way.

"I'm Cassie. You're a first year here right?" Cassie asked hoping that she didn't sit in the Seventh Years compartment. Her brother said that some people were extremely territorial. Victoria shook her head, but smiled. For a moment Cassie thought she was about to get kicked out of the compartment.

"I'm a second year. But I hate my year. They're all idiots. Did you hear they're bringing back the Triwizard Tournament this year?" Victoria asked. I was a little confused and she registered the confusion on my face. "Are you muggle born?" She asked me, her voice a little concerned. I shook my head and told her I was pure blood. She smiled, but not the whole I-hate-mudbloods-Glad-you're-not kind of smile. "There were troubles the year before my first year here with Muggle borns. You don't know what the Triwizard Tournament is?" She asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I know what it is, but I heard it's like extremely dangerous. And it's hard for me to believe that Dumbledore would actually allow it back at his castle. I think someone managed to coerce him to do it. Or he's got some big rule about who can and can't enter into it." Cassie said trying to remember the last time she saw the older man. Most people believed that her parents were followers of Voldemort, but Cassie begged to differ. Her parents were as wholesome as the Potters. They were pure blooded, yes, but their reputations had been smothered by her Aunt's actions. She scowled thinking about her aunt and thanked Merlin that she was in Azkaban.

"I don't know. But I think it'll be a lot of fun. What house are you hoping to get into?" Victoria asked, Cassie shrugged.

"Everyone in my family was in Slytherin. But I want to break that mold. I kind of want to be in Ravenclaw. Or Gryffindor. My parents used to care, but since Harry Potter came back, they've told me and my brother that we should break the house boundaries and get along with our classmates. Regardless of blood status and house." Cassie wasn't really sure where she wanted to go. She didn't have any rebellious feelings towards being in Slytherin, and she definitely didn't have any problem with Gryffindor.

Victoria looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm in Ravenclaw. It's alright there. I think you'd be better suited for Gryffindor. You seem smart and all, but you also seem kind and courageous, which is just what they want over there." She said before looking out the window. She seemed to recognize the scenery because she smiled and looked back at Cassie.

"Are we close to the school?" Cassie asked, looking hopefully out the window. Victoria laughed and shook her head. Cassie then noticed her hair. It was a beautiful auburn color that flowed in waves down her back. Her eyes were dark blue and her skin was bronze. Cassie thought she looked like some kind of Greek Goddess.

"No, I just always love this part of the train ride. It's always beautiful in this area." She said watching the rolling hills in the distance. Cassie saw what she meant. Everything looked so beautiful. So untouched by the harmful hands of man. Cassie stared in awe, and neither girl really noticed the door opening.

"What are you two staring at?" Cassie jumped and spun around to face the new comer. It was another girl, a tall red headed girl. She seemed to smile, but had this dangerousness about her. Cassie wasn't scared of her, but she was weary of the wand in her pocket.

"The scenery. Nice to see you, Gin. Cassie, this is Ginny, she's one of my good friends. Ginny, this is Cassie." Victoria said pointing at the appropriate persons. Cassie and Ginny exchanged hellos and Cassie went back to looking out the window. There was something mesmerizing about the landscape. "She's a first year. And I think we might be able to break her family of their all Slytherin streak with this one!" Victoria said laughing. Ginny sat down next to her friend and watched the scenery like the other two.

"Good, there's too many pure bloods in Slytherin anyway. Of course, we can't choose your house for you, you know that right?" Ginny asked looking at Cassie. She nodded and smiled.

"I don't want to be in Slytherin. My older brother is there and it'll keep him on his toes if I'm in another house." She said smiling and laughing. Cassie looked back out the window as the girls started talking about some professor or another.

"Did she ever tell you her last name?" Ginny asked, weary of whatever Slytherin she might possibly be related to. Though by the looks of her it wasn't anyone important. Plus she hadn't been all snide about Ginny being a Weasley nor had she seemed stuck up. So Ginny wasn't all that concerned.

"No. I didn't give her my last name either though." Victoria said shrugging and searching in her bags for a book. Ginny smiled at her careless friend.

"Well why don't we find out. Hey, Cassie?" Ginny said, trying to get the attention of the young girl. Ginny decided at that moment to really take in this new girl. The way she was acting, and the way Victoria seemed to be acting towards her, made it seem that this would not be the last time Ginny would see Cassie. Her hair was quite the dark brown. It was nearly black. Her skin tone was pale, but seemed to go quite well with her. Her eyes were a soft silver color, and her face had this statuesque look about it. Like it was chiseled out of marble. Ginny thought Cassie looked familiar, but she shook the feeling. Ginny had probably seen her brother around.

"Yes?" Cassie said, not looking away from the window. She was extremely curious about where they were going and what they were surrounded by. Her older brother had told her that the ride to and from Hogwarts was always a bore and although the scenery was quite lovely, watching it wouldn't suffice for the whole trip.

"What's your last name?" Ginny asked glancing over at Victoria, before turning to look at the first year. Cassie looked over at Ginny, uncertainty written on her face. But before she could open her mouth to answer, the compartment door slammed open for the third time. Standing in the door way, was none other than our favorite Ferret, Draco Malfoy. Victoria nearly swooned at the sight of him, but Ginny glared at him. He looked down at Ginny and smirked that odd little smirk of his. "Bugger off, Malfoy." Ginny nearly growled at the blonde.

"Weaselette. Must you be so cruel. Now, now, let's not use foul language in front of the first year. Corrupting them can wait til after they're sorted." Draco drawled lazily. Then he took a good look at Cassie, and nodded in acknowledgment. She nodded back, a small smile on her lips. Much to Ginny's displeasure, Draco sat down on the seat across from her.

"How are you liking things so far, Cassie?" Draco asked, talking directly to the first year he sat next to. She didn't blush or stutter or anything, which made Ginny very suspicious. She told Malfoy about everything that had happened, and was nearly acting like a young girl giddy about some shiny new object as she began to explain the scenery. Ginny nearly gagged when Malfoy chuckled, and was shocked when she saw an actual smile on his face.

"Yah, but you're probably getting bored with it, aren't you?" He said watching the window as he said it. Cassie followed his eyes and shook her head.

"It changes every moment. Every time you look out it's a different view. How's your mission to avoid Pansy going?" She asked looking back at Malfoy. This is where Ginny had to intervene. Something was going on here and it was starting to freak her out. Since when was Malfoy nice to anyone?

"Ok, hold up. What's going on here?" Ginny asked looking between the two across from her. Victoria stayed quite silent but watched with amusement at the trio of people. Malfoy looked at Ginny, his expression hard to read. He was in a state of confusion while slightly amused at her utter confusion. However, Cassie did not seem to notice anything.

"Well, I'm talking with Draco about how the train ride is going, and asking him if he's still making good on the dare I gave him." Cassie said looking straight at Ginny. She seemed unable to comprehend exactly what was going on. Malfoy looked at Ginny and started laughing. Which caused a Molly Weasley glare to head straight for him. He shut up pretty quickly.

"How do you know Malfoy?" Ginny asked in a low, dangerous voice. Cassie shrugged.

"He's my brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm not really sure how this is gonna go. I haven't exactly thought about it. Hopefully this is good. I know it's a little... excuse me ALOT OOC but it's good. I swear. It's not necessarily the most important chapter in the world. But it's not filler. So please please please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If you can't tell that I'm not JK Rowling then you need to get your eyes fixed cause I can't write to save my life. **

**Chapter Two**

**Sorted**

Ginny stared at the two of them. Another Malfoy? Since when? No one had said anything about the Malfoy's having two kids, she had heard only of the little ferret. But the girl had seemed somewhat nice. How could she possibly be related to Malfoy? It took Ginny a few moments to figure out how to go about things. Two Malfoys? Really? She still couldn't believe what they had told her.

"What?" Victoria screeched this out. She had had a crush on Malfoy all of last year and she had never known that he had a sister.

"Yes, she is my younger sister. Now stop staring at us like we're some kind of monster." Draco said, moving up to shut the compartment doors. "Now that the door is closed, we can actually talk. I must say that I am sorry for all the things I have said in the past to you and Granger. You were just innocent bystanders in my dislike for your brother. And Potter just needs someone to not like him. It makes him stronger and keeps him on his toes. Now there are somethings you two must know about this next year. The Triwizard Tournament is coming back. And I have a feeling somehow someone's gonna try to mess with Harry. I don't know how, but it's a feeling that it will happen." Draco said nonchalantly looking at Ginny and Victoria.

"Ok, hold up. What are you talking about Malfoy? You're sorry?" Ginny really couldn't comprehend anything that was going on. Cassie knew that there was no way this girl was going to understand what Draco was saying.

"Our parents' views are not shared by Draco or I. He told me this past summer all the things he had said to you and this other girl, and I convinced him to say sorry to you and her. I told him that he needs to stop acting like my parents want him to and to start acting like he wants to." She said calmly, searching for something among her bags. Ginny tried to comprehend all that they were saying. She understood where Malfoy was coming from, but she wasn't sure whether to seriously trust him or not. He seemed like he would do anything for his sister, and she knew that feeling. She grew up with six brothers who would kill anyone who hurt their baby sister. She saw Malfoy watching his sister, and found that she had respect for him. He had a weakness just like everyone else, and he had feelings and looked like he truly meant he was sorry.

Cassie saw Ginny's expression and knew that she was going to forgive her brother. If this Granger girl was smart she would forgive him too. He was intelligent person and in the end it would be better for them to have him on their side. She wanted him to pick a side before something happened. She had heard her father saying something about the rise of the Dark Lord and she didn't want her brother being branded with that disgusting Dark Mark like their father. She may be his little sister but she knew that in the long run, he would thank her eventually from choosing the wrong side. She glanced around and saw Victoria looking dreamily at Draco. While Victoria would be an interesting girlfriend for Draco, Cassie didn't get the right vibes between her and Draco, same with Ginny. She knew neither of those girls would really stick with her brother through all the drama in the family, but there had to be someone at this school who Draco had good chemistry with.

"I can forgive you easily enough. However, 'Mione won't be as easy as me. Though I doubt she'll be as hard as Ron or Harry. She doesn't hate you as much as you think she does. She hates what you call her." Ginny said glancing at her fingernails. Then, right on cue, the compartment door opened for what felt like the umpteenth time. There stood Hermione, who looked exasperated and slightly worried. She glanced around the compartment smiling at Cassie, grinning at Ginny and Victoria, and frowning at Malfoy. She saw that no one had their wand out and everything looked peaceful. She glanced up and down the train hallways then quickly slid into the compartment, closing the door behind her and drawing the shades.

"Your brother and Harry are looking for you." She said quietly before putting some protective charms around the compartment. Mainly a quieting spell so they wouldn't hear if they passed by. Hermione seemed glad to escape from the two of them for a few moments. Ginny recalled a letter where Hermione explained that they were getting on her nerves lately. And they only got worse after the little show at the Quidditch World Cup. Hermione sat down next to Ginny and looked at Cassie, ignoring Malfoy for the time being.

"I'm Hermione Granger. You must be a first year." She said holding out her hand. Cassie took it, exchanging her own name as well. Hermione's eyes widened and looked at Malfoy. Glancing between the two of them, she only barely saw the resemblance. It was the eyes and the pale skin that definitely gave her away. Hermione looked warily at the two Malfoys, slowly sliding away from them. Cassie however noticed this and glared at her brother.

"Are you seriously such a terrible person to people that they are scared when they meet me? This is the fifth person today who's looked at me with fear because of my last name. If you are the reason I don't have any friends there will be hell to pay, Draco." Cassie cried to her brother. He smirked as he watched Granger furrow her brow. Apparently she was expecting this to happen.

"The reason you won't have any friends Cass is cause you're too smart for your own good. You'd probably get along with her, Granger. I swear to Merlin, she's scary smart." He said looking at Hermione with a smile on his face. Hermione was slightly unsure of this very odd show of character. Malfoy had a little sister, and was being nice to Hermione? She was very confused and looked to Ginny for help.

"OH! Draco wants to say something to you Hermione! Then after that we can talk and you can help me prepare for the classes. I don't want to get bad marks my first week of school." Cassie said nudging her brother. Draco sighed and looked away from Hermione.

"Hermione, I'm sorry for the things I've said to you and the way I've treated you since First year. I want you to know that I am truly sorry. I only say the things I do to Potter because he needs to keep on his toes and be on his guard at all times. If the Dark Lord comes back, like my father believes, I don't want to have that terrible mark on my arm. And I truly dislike Weasel. He's annoying and too stupid for his own good. No offense Ginny." Draco said looking up at Ginny. She smiled back at him indicating she agreed with him. Hermione stared at Draco for a bit, contemplating whether she should forgive him or not.

She hadn't actually had that much time to get to know him. When she thought about it, the only time he was ever mean to her was when he was around other people. She had never had alone time with him before. She reasoned that he probably was a pretty ok guy, as long as he wasn't around his Slytherin friends. And that's what worried her.

"Before I do anything like forgiving you or something, I want to know how this will change at school? Will you treat me differently?" She asked, her eyes cautious. Cassie smiled this was better than nothing. And Draco seemed happy that she was at least thinking about it. Ginny smiled, knowing her friend was going about this the smart way. Everyone in the compartment knew that Hermione was really making sure that he would be nice to her, so that she might be able to get him on their side. Hermione wasn't the smartest witch of her age for nothing. She had noticed over the last three years the talent and intelligence within Malfoy. And now that she had a chance to have that power and intelligence on her side, she was going to make sure he would be on her side.

"Yes. I will stop calling you names and I will be nicer to you, I swear. No matter who's around. It's time we stop this blood status shit before it gets out of hand." Draco said roughly, his eyes never leaving Hermione's. For a moment they just stared at each other. Having a silent conversation through their eyes. The air nearly crackled with power and the other girls could feel that a connection deeper than mutual friendship was being made.

"Alright I forgive you. On one condition, however." She said smiling ever so slightly. Draco looked at her, his eyes curious. She seemed like she had a specific plan for this new... friendship? He wasn't sure what they were at this point.

"If Harry and Ron ever get on my nerves, promise me you'll help me get them back. And don't treat them nice. Ever." Hermione said her eyes glinting. She had had enough of their protectiveness and wanted something that they didn't have. Other than good grades. She wanted a friend that wasn't their friend as well. Draco smirked his famous smirk and nodded, hoping she had something in mind. Hermione opened her mouth to start planning a beautiful prank she had in mind, when Ginny interrupted her.

"We're here! Oh! Cassie I really hope you're in Gryffindor!" She exclaimed excitedly as they started gathering her things. Just as Ginny suspected, Draco glowered at her.

"I hope she's in Slytherin. That means I won't have to pay so much attention to her." Draco said glaring Ginny down. For a few moments they glared at each other, battling for their respective houses. Hermione whispered something quietly in Cassie's ear. Whatever it was made Cassie laugh so hard she fell on the floor.

"What nonsense are you putting in her mind, Granger?" Draco said helping Cassie up.

"I told her to be in Hufflepuff." Hermione said simply before walking out of the compartment. Draco and Ginny both stopped in their tracks, while Hermione, Victoria, and Cassie laughed their way out of the compartment. The five of them continued laughing at making jokes all the way out of the train. If anyone noticed the fact that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were having a pleasant conversation, they didn't stop and stare. As Malfoy said goodbye to Cassie, he joined Hermione, Ginny and Victoria in a horseless buggy that took them to the school. He shut the door behind him hoping Potter and Weasley wouldn't accidentally find their way inside the buggy.

The carriage ride was just as interesting as the train ride. Draco decided he might as well get to know Granger for who she really was, rather than her blood status. Apparently she was scared of flying, and not too fond of Weasley's on and off affection towards her. And apparently, the bushy hair, wasn't her real hair. She did it like that so that she could focus on her school work instead of boys and other things.

Draco was very surprised and had learned alot about his new friends. Ginny disliked Ron because he was definitely not the smartest Weasley. Nor was he the strongest. He seemed to be pretty average all the way around and had a terrible temper. Draco admitted to everyone that his favorite Weasleys were the twins. Everyone agreed. Victoria was apparently a surprised as well. She was not the girly girl Draco had first taken her to be. She was going out of the Ravenclaw quidditch team as Beater and seemed to enjoy something called Horror movies. Hermione explained that it was some Muggle thing that she would explain when we had more time. By the time we got to Hogwarts we didn't know everything about each other, but we definitely knew more.

As they entered the Great Hall, they looked around, glad to be back where they belonged. Hermione took in a deep sigh and breathed the fresh air that entered Hogwarts through the large front doors. She looked at Draco who seemed to be doing the same thing. She half smiled at him, wondering how things had come to be like this. How she had come to be his friend. She thought back on the events of the day, and overall was glad with her decision. It may have been a little rash, but it was a good choice.

She said a quick good bye to Draco and Victoria and walked arm in arm with Ginny to the Gryffindor table. She sat down, and saw Harry and Ron enter shortly after her. They saw her and ran towards her their faces worried and slightly relieved.

"Goodness Hermione! You disappeared on the train and for a moment we thought something had happened to you." Ron said glaring at Hermione. She glared back then looked at Harry, she decided she was going to respond to him seeing as he seemed to be a bit more calm and collected than Ron at the moment.

"I found Ginny and got distracted. I actually met some interesting people today, too. Hopefully one of them will be in our House. To be honest, I think she will be." She said this last part to Ginny who nodded vigorously.

"And with her in our house, and one of our new friends, that means you get to see more of her brother." Ginny said. Hermione knew Ginny was making fun of her. She gasped, then laughed. Ginny knew quite well that Hermione didn't like Draco. But the thought that echoed around in Ginny's head was, she doesn't like him... yet. She could tell, call it intuition, or even foreshadowing, that something was going to go down between the two fourth years.

Ron started to say somethng about what Hermione and Ginny were talking about, probably wondering who they were talking about and whose brother Ginny was insinuating Hermione liked, but was cut off when Dumbledore stepped up to the podium. He said a small speech about House Unity and introduced the Sorting Hat. It sang its song, the usual about House Unity and all that crap and explained the four Houses for the First Years sake. Ginny and Hermione saw Cassie looking at them and they gave her an encouraging thumbs up and smiles. She smiled back, only her eyes showed how worried she was. She knew Hermione had been joking, but she really didn't want to be in Hufflepuff. It was probably a very nice house, filled with amazing people but it wasn't for her. She wanted adventure. But either way she knew she would encounter adventure as long as she remained friends with Hermione and Ginny. There was something about them that screamed of adventure and mystery. And Cassie loved that feeling.

Professor McGonagall started calling names, going through the list alphabetically, and finally she reached the M's. "Cassiopeia Malfoy." The hall rang quiet. Apparently no one knew that Malfoy had a younger sister. Ron and Harry frowned at started whispering to Hermione about how she was gonna go straight to Slytherin like her stupid brother and other rude things like that. But Hermione and Ginny shushed them, and waited anxiously to hear what house she was in. Regardless of the house, they would be her friends, that was for certain. Both girls liked Cassie and was glad that they had met. Hermione felt as if the girl would be miniature her and would be fun to hang around and someone she could talk to about grades and marks finally. Ginny knew that she would be just as dangerous with her wand as Ginny was and would be able to conquer the worst hexes instantly. They wanted her in their house, but they silently agreed that no matter where she went, she would be their friend, and on their side.

The hat seemed to have trouble placing her. It took awhile, and seemed to be talking to her. She smiled happily swinging her legs and looked as if she was having a pleasant conversation with the hat. Suddenly out of nowhere, the hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!" Hermione and Ginny stood instantly screaming and cheering for her. They waved her over and Cassie sat down next to Hermione and Ginny instantly marking her as their territory. Harry and Ron stared at the girl then at Hermione and Ginny. Why were they friends with Malfoy's sister?

Shortly after, the feast began and the three girls bonded some more. Malfoy, Draco that is, even came over to the Gryffindor table much to Harry and Ron's dismay. He congratulated his sister and said hey to Hermione and Ginny before walking back to Slytherin.

As the three girls talked and laughed they knew this year was going to be so much different than the previous years. And probably much better. After dinner was over, and everyone left for their Common Rooms, Hermione, Ginny, and Cassie stayed behind. They had of course waved Draco and Victoria over, and stayed for a while, hanging out. As the five students talked and laughed, they had no idea that they were being watched. From atop the Teacher's Platform, Dumbledore smiled as the five mixed and became their own little group of friends, knowing that House Unity had to start somewhere. And Ron and Harry watched, unsure of how to approach Hermione and Ginny about this. But they both knew one thing, this wasn't going to continue. Hermione and Ginny would not be associating with Malfoy's. Ever.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I got quite a bit of response to the last chapter! So I'm writing this one as fast as my fingers can go and my brain can think. I'm letting you all know that after the Yule Ball, I'm skipping a few years. So, how many chapters do you want before then? Hmmm? I need your opinions! I am not looking forward to the confrontation between Harry, Ron and Hermione so I'm kind of thinking I'll save that for next chapter. Maybe... maybe not... please REVIEW! :D**

**Chapter Three**

**Getting To Know You**

Hermione woke up early the next morning, happy and refreshed. She couldn't believe all that had happened last night. She got dressed and went downstairs to see Ginny and Cassie already waiting for her. They smiled as she approached and got up to go eat some food. Hermione felt much more relaxed with girls than she did with Ron and Harry. She wondered why she no longer appreciated their friendship.

As they passed through the portrait hole, they saw Ron and Harry talked quietly in a corner just outside the Common Room. They glared at Cassie before smiling weakly at Hermione and Ginny who ignored them.

"Who are they?" Cassie asked, unsure of what she had done to make them glare at her.

"That is Ron, my brother, and Harry Potter. They dislike your brother and automatically dislike you. They used to be our good friends but unless they are going to treat you right we aren't going to have anything to do with them. You are our friend and they will either learn to like you or learn to live without us as their friends." Ginny said authoritatively. Cassie smiled and thanked the girls for being so nice to her, even if she was related to a total arse.

"He's not a total arse anymore. He apologized and we forgave him. So who cares what Ron and Harry think." Hermione said quietly to Cassie.

"You know we're going to have to talk to them some day right?" Ginny asked looking at Hermione, she nodded her eyes sad.

"I'm not looking forward to that conversation. I only wish I could explain to them without them freaking out at me." Hermione wondered aloud as they entered the Great Hall. She took a big whiff in, loving the smell of freshly cooked food.

"In the morning it doesn't really matter where you sit. It's only at the opening feast. Every other day you could sit at Hufflepuff if you wanted to." Hermione said as they sat down at a random table. It so happened to be the Slytherin table. Malfoy scooched down to sit with them.

"Good morning, ladies." He said stacking food onto his plate. They greeted him and started doing the same. Cassie seemed cautious at first, unsure of whether there would be enouh for everyone.

"Eat up, Cass. Classes are going to be long today. Don't worry about making sure there's enough for everyone, the House Elves make sure everyone will get their fill." Draco said piling a few biscuits onto her plate. She looked at him indignantly and put the rolls back and took some eggs.

Victoria joined them, and took only bread. When everyone looked at her with odd looks she shrugged, "I'm a bread girl. I could live happily on only bread." She said before taking another bite of her biscuit. Hermione and Draco looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. Soon, Ginny and Cassie joined in and before too long Victoria was laughing, too.

Hermione felt a slight tap on her shoulder and looked to see Harry and Ron standing over her, their expressions only slightly hard to read. They were either furious and incredibly constipated. She said this and her entire group burst into another bought of laughter. She got up and followed them over, her eyes still water and her breath still catching up.

"What do you guys need?" She asked wiping tears away from her eyes. She was smiling so huge that Ron and Harry looked like they were about to relax.

"What in the name of Merlin's saggy balls are you doing?" Harry hissed. Hermione rolled her eyes at the obscenity he had just spouted.

"I'm enjoying breakfast with some friends. You're welcome to join us if you'll behave." She said politely. But they looked at her as if she had grown a second, third and fourth head.

"But you're hanging out with Malfoy. And his... sister. How can you do this to us? To Harry? You're fratranizing with enemy Hermione!" Ron said loudly. Hermione sighed exasperately.

"Will you two get over it? If you guys have so much trouble hanging out with someone else for a change then you can sod off. Cassie is a very nice girl, whose older brother happens to be a classmate of ours that I never actually got to know. I have found out he's actually quite nice and very funny. So, I am going to go back to my friends and enjoy my morning. You can join me if you want." She said before walking back to Draco and Ginny. She sat down and continued eating, ignoring the boys and not once looking over her shoulder.

"Can you believe Hermione? She's totally betraying us for that piece of shit and his snivelling younger sister." Ron said, clearly he wasn't happy. Harry was about to reply when Cassie walked over to them, her eyes innocent.

"Hi, my name's Cassie. I don't know why you guys hate me so much, but I think it's really rude that you're just assuming I'm like my brother. I think its unfair that your pitting me against your image of one pureblood. Kind of like how You-Know-Who compares all Muggleborns and Muggles to his image of what his father was. Just a little food for thought. If you fall to prejudice you're no better than he is." She said sweetly, her eyes betraying no hint of hatred or malice.

"Get the fuck away from us you fucking whore! We don't associate with Death Eaters and their bints! You're no better than you're Death Eater brother and your Death Eater father. Fucking Pureblood supremist." Ron said loudly enough for the whole hall to hear. Cassie took a step back, shocked at what he had said. And suddenly a wand was pointed at Ron's neck, a hand closed tightly around a bit of his shirt.

"I swear to Merlin, you fucking call me that again and I will remove your balls and penis by hand and shove them down your throat. And if you ever insult my little sister again, so help me God, you will beg for sweet Death to come your way. You got that, Weaselbee?" Malfoy's rang clear in his ear, though Ron knew that no one else could hear what he said save for him. He nodded vigourously hoping that Draco didn't hex him or anything.

Draco stepped back and pocketed his wand before a teacher saw, Hermione stepped foward and slapped Ron so hard on the face. As did Ginny, Victoria, and lastly Cassie. Ron stood there his face, not only from the slaps but from anger and embarrassment, his eyes furious. He looked at Harry who was looking at him with disgust.

"I thought you were better than that Ron." He said quietly before walking over to Cassie and offering his apologies. She accepted them and shook his hand. Ron watched as he lost his best friends to the charm of the Malfoys. Was he the only one who could see past their lies? Was he the only one that could see them for what they were? Apparently as Hermione walked close to Malfoy, talking and laughing with him as if they had been friends for a while.

* * *

><p>In Potions, Ron got points taken off for everything. He even moved, he got another point taken away from his house. Snape was playing favorites and now that Draco and Hermione had made nice, they were both being treated well. Even Harry wasn't being absolutely tortured by Snape today. Ron was furious by the end of the day. All the teachers were being unbelievably rude to Ron, hoping to teach him a lesson for his out of control behaviour. Most teachers highly disapproved of the way Ron had reacted to the situation, and the rest highly disapproved of the things Ron had said.<p>

Ron was now friendless, as Harry had joined Hermione and Ginny's group of friends, and was adamant on not joining them. He would not allow the Malfoy's to be triumphant in winning over the Golden Trio. He would not give into their lies and deceit. Everytime Hermione caught Ron glaring at them, she looked sad and then looked as if she pitied him. He sat alone, in the Common Room, at meals, during class. Not even Neville would sit next to him.

Ron had to get Harry and Hermione back to their right state of mind. He had to make them see that Malfoy was deceiving them. He had no idea how he was going to do that. Until he thought of something Fred and George had talked to him about. A Room of Everchanging Things, they had called it. If you walked past it three times with a clear place in your mind, it would provide you with a room that was tailored to what you were looking for. Ron knew that if he brought Harry or Hermione there and kept them there for ahwile they would no longer be subject to Draco's spell. He was positive of it.

All he had to do was make sure the room was actually there and figure out exactly what kind of room he wanted it to make him. He figured he'd better start with Hermione. She seemed to be hit hard by his spell. She would be the hardest to break. So he should definitely start with her. After dinner, Ron knew he had time and he needed to make sure the Room was there. He left to go check it out, no one noticing his disappearance, no one really caring.

Malfoy would pay for what he was doing to his friends. He would pay for taking them away from Ron. He wasn't sure how, but he would teach Malfoy a lesson. It was the only way. It was for the greater good. Ron thought to himself, justifying his actions to come.

**A/N: OH LOOK! I updated twice in one day! I feel so proud of myself! Now if only I could update my other stories! :( sad face. I think I'll put Consequences of War on hiatus. Yes, that I believe I shall do.! Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: HI! So I'm really happy cause I have a new computer and I am trying to update all my stories. So here is a nice new chapter, hope you enjoy it :) Review Please!**

**Chapter Four**

**How Does It Go?**

Cassie had been going to Hogwarts for a month now. She had a few First year friends, but the majority of her friends were older kids in Gryffindor. She had met Fred and George Weasley, Ginny's older brothers, and immediately connected with them. She loved pranks and joking around and they were the Kings of that world. Her best friends though were Ginny, Hermione and Victoria. The four girls were rarely separated save for classes. Cassie had top marks in her grade and had been told that she might be as good with magic as Hermione Granger. Cassie smiled, knowing that she could never be as good as the older girl. Cassie looked up to Hermione. She strongly admired her and desperately sought her help with homework and spells. Hermione was always happy to help, and even helped Cassie study for tests and quizzes she knew were coming.

Cassie couldn't believe how amazing school was. Gryffindor house was so much more than her parents had thought. It was a very welcoming place, and once people got over her name, they realized how different she was from her brother. When they heard that she was friends with Hermione and Harry, they immediately knew she must be ok. Cassie was a pretty enough girl, and though she had probably caught the eyes of many guys, only one had caught her eye and kept it. And though Hermione and Victoria and Ginny knew that she was crushing on someone, she vowed to never tell them who.

A few days ago Dumbledore had mentioned the TriWizard Tournament. Cassie was excited and knew that almost no one she knew would be able to become the Hogwarts Champion. Though she did know that no matter who it was, her brother would find fault with them. Cassie respected her brother... to a certain extent. He was occasionally snobby, and rude, but for the most part he was a changed man. She hoped that he would find a girl. And soon. If not, Cassie would have to take it into her own hands to find a girl for him.

Cassie had already started looking out for possible romances for her brother. There were a few girls on her mind, none of them reached any of the standards that she wanted for her brother, but a few of them were very nice girls. Cassie hoped that maybe her brother would find someone he liked well enough in Slytherin. She didn't know any Slytherins, due to her being a Gryffindor and all. But she doubted that he would really like any of them.

Cassie watched her brother as he entered the library and sat down at a table far away from her. He probably hadn't seen her as he entered. Which was unusual for Draco, because he noticed everything whenever he entered a room. Something was distracting him, and whatever that was it was at the very front of his mind. Cassie was gonna stay where she was, and see what was distracting him so much. She stayed just out of his line of sight, so he wouldn't see her. But he wasn't paying attention to the other people in the Library. He was watching the door. Very intently. It was like he knew someone was going to come through it in a while and whoever it was, was the object of his greatest obsession.

Cassie watched at Hermione Granger stepped through the doors of the library, her nose buried deep in a book, and her feet taking her on an often traveled journey. She never looked up as she walked directly to a table, and sat down. And yet she kept reading, never taking her eyes off the book. Cassie barely noticed Draco shove the chair out just a bit, allowing Hermione to continue on her path without looking. Apparently he knew Hermione wouldn't be looking up anytime because he stared at her openly. His smile kept getting bigger, with every passing second he seemed like he was happy just be near her.

Cassie narrowed her eyes, unsure of what she was really seeing. But it seriously looked like her brother was nearly in love. she couldn't believe it. Maybe it was something real? Could it be? Draco Malfoy actually found a girl he liked? Cassie dismissed the thought nearly immediately. How could this have happened without the world ending? It was impossible. Cassie turned away, but unfortunately turned directly into a bookcase. The noise made such a ruckus that Draco leaped out of his seat and hid behind a neighboring bookshelf, out of Hermione's line of sight and out of danger. Cassie barely caught this last act, but she did nonetheless and saw Hermione look over at the chair that had recently been occupied by Draco. She also saw Hermione's eyes narrow as she looked at the chair. She knew something had recently occupied that chair, and she knew that whatever it was, had gone quite quickly and silently.

Cassie was so confused, but knew that no matter what happened, her brother would never admit that it had happened. She sat down on a window seat, and tried to think about what was going to happen now. But every time she tried to think about her brother and his potential love life, her mind wandered to her own love life. She wanted this to really happen. She wanted to tell Ginny, and get her help to make it happen. But she didn't want her brother to know. She knew the things her brother had said to and about this guy. She knew that no matter what she thought about him, her brother would disapprove and if she didn't listen to him he would tell their parents.

But Cassie couldn't think about that. It was nearly impossible, because she couldn't get her mind off of him. He was such a nice guy. And was polite to almost everyone. She smiled as she thought about him and started doodling on a piece of parchment. He was such a good guy, and she really liked him. She knew she was going to have to tell Ginny at least. Either that, or Ginny would find out on her own. She was scary, she was. She knew everything. No matter what it was. Ginny would eventually find out, and it was better for Cassie's safety if she told Ginny before she found out on her own. But how would she tell Ginny? How would Ginny react to this? How would Victoria and Hermione react to it? Cassie dreaded thinking of how her brother would react. She didn't want to even think about it.

**A/N: Ok. So there are so many guys I could have Cassie like. And I have two guys in mind in particular. Review with your picks. Please! Otherwise it's gonna be someone that's gonna make you all hate me... :) Please review! even just one word! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright so this took me a bit to figure out. But not too long. So I took the actual dance scene from another story of mine so if you say that I copied it from another story, yes I did but I have ownership over that story. So yea. Anyway, hope you guys like it. I don't know if you guys will ever figure out who Cassie likes... maybe. **

**also I forgot about the TriWizard tournament. The story is held during the fourth year, just so you know. So the TriWizard Tournament is underway. Hope you guys like the chapter! :)**

**Chapter Five**

**The Yule Ball**

Hermione had been watching Cassie for a long time. Something was up with that girl. But Hermione had other things on her mind. Harry had just beaten the Dragon with almost no difficulty. Though it looked like he had had very little planning. Thankfully for him Hermione had heard from Draco and Cassie that the first Task would be a dragon and that he would have to get the golden egg.

Now that Harry had the Golden Egg, the big thing was to find out what the Golden Egg held. Hermione was trying to help him figure it out, but she was a bit distracted. Dumbledore had just announced that there was going to be a Yule Ball right before the holidays. She was a bit nervous about who would ask her. And she was a bit sad that Ginny, Victoria, and Cassie couldn't go.

The only way they could go was if they managed to find guys to go with them.

Hermione really wanted to go to the Ball, but she had no one to go with. Ron and Harry had made up and while Hermione attempted to ignore him, he still managed to find a way to talk to her. He even sometimes thought they were friends again. But Hermione barely acknowledged him at all, and flat out ignored him around other people.

Hermione was thinking about the TriWizard Tournament, the Ball, and Cassie's strange behavior as she walked down to the Great Hall. She nearly ran straight into Draco. Speaking of people acting weird, he was acting the most weird of everyone. And that's a pretty hard position to earn. Hermione had been forced to get used to a lot with her acceptance to Hogwarts, but something weird was going on with the Malfoy siblings. It was like somehow the two were having problems with something and they had no idea how to deal with it.

Hermione wanted to help them both, but she didn't know how. She still wasn't sure what the problem was.

"Hey Draco. Do you know what's up with Cassie? She's been acting a weird... and I'm kind of worried about her. She's still getting good marks in classes but she's acting very strange. Do you have any idea what it might be?" Hermione asked. Draco looked at her, his grey eyes soft and far away. He had a very vacant expression on his face.

Hermione waved a hand in front of his eyes, hoping to maybe waver his attention from whatever it was he was thinking about. It worked, he immediately shook his head and was back to this continent.

"Sorry Hermione. I don't really know what it is that's got Cassie acting weird. I have a few ideas though. I think she has a crush on someone. It's kind of something the Malfoys do. We get very distant and start acting a little weird. Don't worry, once she gets the guy she'll be back to normal and it'll be like nothing happened." Draco said waving it off. Hermione stared at him, disbelieving of this.

"All of you do it?" Hermione asked staring at Draco. He nodded, he seemed like he had something he wanted to say to Hermione.

"Hey, so how is your relationship with Ron these days? Every now and then I see him attempting to talk to you and I see you succeeding at ignoring him. And I was just wondering how things are between you two?" Draco said looking at Hermione with serious concern. Hermione was very confused as to what this was all about.

"Well... he is attempting to talk to me. I'm ignoring him. I do not plan on talking to him unless Cassie tells me that he made an acceptable apology and that all is forgiven between the Weasley's and the Malfoy's." Hermione said, motioning towards the Great Hall. She was starving and couldn't stand being hungry another second.

"That's good. Now what plans do you have for the Yule Ball. Cause I'm trying to figure out how things are going to work between our group seeing as most of them are underage. I'm planning on figuring out dates for Cassie and Ginny and then getting Harry to finally ask Victoria like he's been wanting to for awhile." Draco said, sitting across from Hermione. She looked up at him, a piece of bread in her hand.

"And what about the two of us? You already got a date?" Hermione asked calmly. She wouldn't admit it but she kinda liked Draco. He was sweet and nice, and funny and very hot. She wished that he didn't have a date already, but if he did it would be fine too.

"Well... that's what I wanted to talk to you about..."

* * *

><p>Cassie watched as her brother sat down with Hermione. She had seen the vacant expression, and the weird way he was acting. Oh, Draco was crushing, and crushing hard. Though Cassie couldn't spend all her time thinking about her brother and his crush. She had to think about her own crush.<p>

What was she gonna do? He was older than her and she had no idea how other people would react to this new crush of hers. She hoped that he would ask her to the Ball. She knew she wasn't going to be able to go to the dance without an Upperclassmen asking her. And as much as she wanted him to ask her, she had a feeling they wouldn't.

She was thinking so hard about the guy she liked and about how she could go about getting him to ask her to the Ball, when she bumped right into him.

"Hey Cassie, how are you?" He asked. Cassie for a moment stared off into space as was usual for the Malfoys. Then she shook herself out of it and looked up at him, her grey eyes thankful that he had finally asked her. She said yes as quietly as possible, trying not to scream.

He smiled and told her that he would start talking with Hermione and Draco with plans about what they were doing. Cassie nodded, still in a comatose state of happiness and excitement. He gave her a brief hug then walked away.

Cassie couldn't see it as he walked away, but he was almost as excited as she was. Cassie knew that the Yule Ball was gonna be so much fun. She was probably the only 1st year to be going to the Yule Ball. She had no doubt that no one else had been asked in her grade. She was excited that someone in the older years noticed her when the other first years were just her friends.

Suddenly it dawned on Cassie, she was going to need a dress. She was going to have to talk to Hermione. She knew for certain that Hermione was most definitely going to the Ball

Or at least Cassie hoped that the guy who wanted to ask Hermione would finally ask her already. Everyone could see the relationship was blooming... somewhat. She knew she was going to have to investigate this.

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><p><strong>Hermione's POV<strong>

I couldn't believe that this was happening. It was finally here, the Yule Ball. The lights, the dresses, the music! It was all so... romantic! I wasn't in view of anyone else yet, but I had to say, I was gonna turn heads. Ginny stood behind me, bouncing nervously up and down. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a beautiful black dress, that draped wonderfully across one shoulder. The bottom was a see through black material, with a bright blue fabric underneath it, making the most wonderful shade of teal. Her hair was curled and glittery, and her eyes, thanks to moi, were also teal.

I was wearing a gorgeous gown that was the darkest purple. It almost looked like a wedding dress. It had a silver sash that tied around the middle, and then hung down at my side. And glittering beads adorned the top. Finally I saw our cue. Tons of people were just standing around the hall talking. This was our entrance turn.

Me and Ginny linked arms and then made our way down the stairs. Neither me nor Ginny are exceptionally graceful, however, that moment we glided like swans. As we descended down the stairs, I saw Draco Malfoy and he had eyes only for me. Our gazes connected and for what seemed like years, our eyes met and a series of emotions passed through this connection. These emotions would be hard to explain even minutes after. But I can tell you, not a single one of them was disgust or hatred.

As we reached the bottom, Blaise Zabini held his hand out for Ginny, and my date took mine. He stared at me, as though he was amazed to have such luck. We proceeded into the Great Hall, where the music for a song had ended. Everyone cleared off the dance floor and instead of taking a seat, my date wrapped his arm around my waist, and led me towards the middle of the floor. Music started up and we started to dance. I had never danced a day in my life before today. But here we were dancing, in front of the whole of Hogwarts, and I felt like I had rehearsed these steps for as long as I could remember.

I was so glad that all this had happened. I don't remember if it was the music or just the way people stared at us, or even if it was just being with him alone, either way that night was the happiest of my life.

A hand tapped my shoulder and it was Fred, asking to cut in. I realized more people had joined the dance floor, but the majority of the people had been staring at me and my partner. I looked at my partner who nodded and swung me into the arms of Fred. I saw him, bow to Cassie, and began dancing with her. I was surprised, tonight was nearly perfect. I didn't think this could happen. But then again, things were different now. Or at least they would be now.

Fred looked at me and smiled and I had to shake my head. "You really her don't you?" When he gave me a weird look I smiled as if I knew some big secret.

"You've been staring at her for the past few weeks non stop. Even before you asked her, you kept staring at her. Thank god she liked you, too right?" Fred nodded and laughed. This night was a good night. It was his last year here and he was going with probably one of the most skilled dancers on the floor tonight.

"And how are you enjoying your night so far? Everyone can tell you really like him." Fred said not even doubting my crush on my date. I nodded knowing there was no point in denying it any longer. I liked him. Alot.

"The moment you said yes for me, you knew exactly what would happen." I said accusingly and Fred merely shrugged, but his grin gave him away. I could see why he and his twin George had had so many offers to the ball. The twins were, in a sense, gorgeous. Even though they were like brothers to me, I was still able to say they were gorgeous.

And as gorgeous as they were, they were amazingly intelligent and knew everything that was going on. Somehow they knew that getting me to go with this guy would be the best part of my life. So far.

"Maybe, maybe not. However, you still managed to get Draco completely speechless, which is a plus in our books." George said as he swung by me and Fred. He and Angelina Johnson were practically flailing about the ball room, making everyone jump out of their way. And yet somehow he had managed to stop to talk to me. I was flattered.

"Ah yes, George. That is a plus. And he keeps staring at you. No wonder though. He's obviously had a crush on you the moment you punched him." Fred said agreeing with George. I shook my head and chuckled. This was ridiculous, and their ideas were absurd, no matter how true they might be.

"And he's been madly in love with you since you walked down those stairs. And must I say, you look stunning, Hermione. Purely stunning." George said winking at me. I was blushing and practically burying my face in Fred's chest. Another tap on my shoulder, and I knew my date was asking for me back. I smiled and without asking if Fred was fine with it, swung over into his arms, and took in the amazing feel of warmth that I recognized as him.

Everything about tonight was perfect. My date was perfect, I was perfect, this dance was perfect. How could I have been dreading it so? I remembered painfully how I despised tonight. How I wished someone would accidentally poison me so I wouldn't have to go. But now I was glad. I was glad for so many reasons. Reasons that I couldn't begin to explain. Reasons I didn't want to explain.

I could see eyes still staring at me. Girls jealous of me for who I was dancing with, boys jealous of who my date was dancing with. People who were amazed that we had ended up together. Teachers stunned at how we moved. Everyone was staring. And it only made it worse, when we heard the familiar beat and melody of... the tango.

I knew it would be our dance before we had even danced. I remember watching a movie, where they explained the impeccable feelings made about the tango. Passion, lust, love. Then the jealousy, mistrust and hatred. The undying emotions flitted through the air as we danced the most passionate dance we never knew. We were the only ones dancing, and as we danced, it was Dirty Dancing style.

There aren't words to describe the passion we felt that night. No feeling could be used to accurately show how I was feeling. Nothing could be used to describe the sensation I got when the song ended and he jerked his head towards the exit, towards the Great Doors. Another song started and people filled the dance floor once more. I nodded and allowed him to lead me towards the doors.

I followed him outside into the cool air where the moon awaited us with watching eyes. I followed him down the steps and across the grounds. I followed him through the forest, and to the lake. I followed him to the shore, where the moon splashed happily among the calm waves, and the fish jumped almost melodically. I could hear the song playing in my head, and I couldn't help but laugh.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with wonder and happiness. "What are you laughing at?" He asked me smiling. I could hear the laugh in his voice, he wanted to laugh too. But he first wanted to know what he would be laughing at.

I started to hum and the words came easily. "There you see her. Sitting there across the way. She don't got a lot to say but there's something about her. And you don't know why but you're dying to try. You wanna, kiss the girl." I sung to him. He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist. I slid mine around his neck, and looked into his beautiful eyes. They were like his mother's. Gorgeous, and inviting. The moon reflected off them, and on any other day it would be an eerie color, but tonight it was happy, and calming.

Suddenly I felt myself being lifted into the air and found we were floating. But then I came to my senses and found we were flying. He had jumped off the deck and we were headed straight for the lake. I curled up in his arms and screamed, while he laughed and held me in his arms. I expected the cold water to envelope us both and send shivers down my spine. But instead I found myself floating through a murky water, warm and pleasant. I laughed, and ended up choking on water. He quickly swam up to the surface and helped me breathe. And we laughed even harder.

I wasn't expecting this at all. I wasn't expecting that this would turn out so magical, so wonderful. It was certainly a night of wonders, especially when his lips met mine. And for that moment, there was nothing else in the world. Just me and him. Us, just sitting on the shore of the Black Lake, enjoying a moonlit stroll during the most magical school dance. Literally. Our kiss deepened and one of his hands held my neck while his other arm, wrapped around my waist. My hand found his hair and I ran my fingers through his perfect hair. My other arm found its way to his chest. The warmth of his blood met my fingertips and his heart raced underneath my palm. We fit together so right, so nicely, there was no way this wasn't meant to be.

I'm not one for destined pairings, but if this one wasn't planned, I didn't know anything. And I'm Hermione freaking Granger! I know everything! Even if I didn't, there was one thing I did know. This was my night. My time to shine, my moment to show Hogwarts I wasn't just some bookworm! I was a beautiful young woman who could enjoy a wonderfully planned dance.

And you know how I was spending that night? I was spending that night on the shore of the Black Lake, kissing the most wonderful person. I was spending my shining night, kissing my knight in shining armor. Well actually at that point he hadn't quite earned that title... but it stills sounds cool right?

I was spending my moment, kissing...

At that point the twins and all the rest of my friends, took it upon themselves to start singing a little song for me and my date. And I must say as funny as it was, I really wish I'd had my wand at that moment to shut them all up. But instead, we just kept on kissing ignoring the annoying song. Yet somehow when he took a breath, he whispered softly in my ear, "This is the best night of my life. I can't believe how lucky I am to be spending it with you, Hermione Granger." And we continued our public display of affection.

"And I can't believe how lucky I am to be kissing you, Draco Malfoy."

**A/N: Please review! It would mean a lot to me if you did! :) Until next time :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Alright so this is gonna be the last chapter. Until after the Seventh Movie comes out. BUTTT! if i get ten more reviews between then and now, i might update sooner. Trust me, you'll want to review after this chapter... call me evil and i'll answer... ;)**

**Thank you to for reviewing. and trust me I will never ignore reviews :)**

**Also thank you to anonymous for reviewing. i would acknowledge you but you didn't have a name :( and i didn't even think about Cedric. I was thinking either neville or one of the twins. :)**

**Please review unless you want to wait until July 15. and it might be later, because the next chapter is gonna be a big one and i'm going to the midnight showing and i have a job that's only on the weekends... so ya. :) Here's the chapter. Hate me all you want.**

**Chapter Six**

**The Morning After**

It had been amazing. The whole night had been absolutely perfect. And nothing could have changed how Hermione now felt about Draco. Or at least that's what Hermione thought the morning after the Yule Ball.

Here's the run down of what had happened at the Yule Ball:

George and Angelina Johnson went together and probably had the best time. Towards the end they pulled this hilarious prank on their brother Ron who had the gall to turn up and accuse his sister Ginny of fraternizing with the enemy.

Ginny had gone with Viktor Krum who apparently really liked her. They danced the night away, and ignored Ron.

Cassie had gone with Fred. While Fred had danced a small dance with Hermione, Draco and Cassie had danced together. It wasn't weird for them. Their parents had both made them go through ball room dancing lessons when they were younger and they were used to dancing together.

Plus they were really good at dancing and they enjoyed having another partner who was as advanced as them.

Harry had gone with Victoria, he had hung out with her quite a lot during the first few months of school and had liked her quite a bit.

Overall the night went very well and the whole dance thing was a great way to start off the Holidays.

The next morning was rough for everyone. Most had to wake up early to get on the train to leave, and those who weren't leaving were woken up by those that were. Draco and Cassie were staying behind because they knew of the parties that would be held and how tired they would be. Plus, things were going on at their house that they didn't want to be around.

As the few that remained finally filed down to breakfast, almost no noise was heard. There were groans here and there, and some first years that talked loudly. But with a small glare from a sixth year, their mouths were nearly glued shut for the rest of breakfast. The fact that the sixth years knew wordless magic was just a side fact.

The previous night so many parties had been going on, no one had been to just one party. Hermione herself had gone to a party from every House and even a few parties held by other people in various places. The teachers and Filch had attempted to close down every single party, however, with Harry's map, Hermione, Draco, Cassie, Victoria, Ginny and Harry had been able to avoid the teachers and help close down parties before the teachers got there and get them started up again.

Cassie watched as everyone moved slowly and silently around places. She loved watching people and the way they acted. She loved knowing what people were thinking and how they reacted to certain things. But she never could have imagined what would happen next.

As usual the owls came early in the morning to deliver the letters and news to their respective students. Cassie watched as her brother got a letter and saw as he frowned in response to the letter.

He handed the letter to Cassie, and then got up haughtily from the table and left the Hall, definitely fuming. Cassie read it, and immediately crunched it up and disintegrated it with her wand. She then realized that her brother had removed himself from the Great Hall, and got up to run after him.

It took Hermione a few minutes to realize what had happened. By the time she realized that Draco might be in a bad mood, it was too late to go after him. There was no way she would find him and help calm him down. Cassie was after him, so it was taken care of pretty much. Or she hoped it was taken care of.

* * *

><p>Cassie followed her brother, attempting to catch up with him and talk to him about what was in that letter. This was really going to upset Draco, but if he made it much farther without her catching up, he would be lost forever.<p>

Cassie saw him round the corner ahead of her and ran to catch up with him. She had to help him with this. He was probably going to do something very stupid, and she didn't want to think about those consequences.

But as soon as Cassie turned the corner that her brother had gone around, there was nothing but an empty wall. So this was the opening to the Slytherin dorms. And being a Gryffindor, Cassie wasn't allowed in the Slytherin House Common Room, or even down here. Cassie rolled her eyes and sighed, she knew this was going to end badly.

Cassie hates to admit it, but she is nosy and loves listening to fights and finding out what people are fighting about. So when she heard the yelling, she just had to stay and find out what was going on. Especially when she heard her brother's voice above all.

"How could you have done this? I thought you loved me? I thought that we had an understanding that you can do whatever you like with that your stupid sluts on the side, but how could you lie to me like this, then have this happen? WHY DRACO?" Some girl screamed at the top of her lungs. Cassie disliked this girl already. She didn't seem like the kind that was right for Draco at all.

"What are you talking about? I never had an understanding with you! I don't even like you! I never have! And what do you mean how could I have done this? I asked a girl I like, a girl I really like to the Yule Ball, and had a good time with you. And you decide it's your duty to go and tell my parents? WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU MAKE YOU THINK I WOULD EVEN REMOTELY RESPECT YOU AFTER THAT?" Draco bellowed at the girl. Cassie finally understood what was going on. Whoever this was, it was the girl that had told their parents about Draco's what they claimed affair with a Mudblood.

"Drakie, we are supposed to be getting married after school. And nothing that stupid mudblood does will change that. You got that Draco Abraxas Malfoy?" Cassie heard this and was infuriated. How dare that bimbo insult her best friend! Whoever that whore was, she was definitely not worth Draco's time or even deserving of his inheritance.

Suddenly Cassie couldn't hear anything. She knew that whoever the bimbo was, she was speaking in low tones. Cassie decided it wasn't going to be worth it to get caught and she should probably get away from the Slytherin dungeons when it was very likely two Slytherins were going to be coming out of that place. She finally walked away from the wall, and away to the Great Hall.

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><p>Hermione had walked up to the Tower soon after Cassie and Draco had run off. She didn't care what they did, she just wanted to sit up at the highest point at Hogwarts and think about last night and what it would mean.<p>

Draco had been the most amazing date ever. He was a good dancer, and an amazing kisser. She wondered what it would mean now that this had happened. Would they be in a relationship? Or would they just continue on as friends and continue to grow as friends? Hermione wasn't sure. She had never really done this before.

She was really hoping that he would actually ask her to be his girlfriend. She liked him, and she was pretty sure that he liked her, too.

Hermione stared out over the Grounds and just relaxed as the sun shone out over the lake. It was beautiful. She listened as the nature before her sang it's song. The rustling of the trees, the birds chirping happily in the morning, the lapping of the water on the shore. She closed her eyes and disappeared into the beauty of the world.

For the longest time she sat there, allowing her mind to run free and wake up the proper way. She didn't need coffee or Advil or even anti Hangover potions. She had the morning air to clear her mind of all the alcohol. And it worked just fine.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she found herself perched on a railing close to the edge of the Tower. she took a small gasp then calmed down a bit. This wasn't where she had been when she'd closed her eyes. She smiled as she saw the view beneath her. It was breath taking.

It was pretty much the same as before, but she was super high up, and the people below were staring up at her, some scared that she was gonna jump, some weirded out because they were still suffering from their hangovers.

Hermione smiled, and climbed off of the railing. As she turned around, she noticed she wasn't the only one up here. Cassie stood towards the back of the Tower, her face sad and slightly angry. She looked like she was waiting to find out whether Hermione was in a good enough mood or not. Apparently Cassie thought so, because she stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"Hermione, I have to talk to you about something." Cassie started out, but was interrupted when giggling could be heard from the staircase just a few feet away. Cassie made to go close the door, when Hermione shook her head. She had recognized Pansy Parkinson's voice and knew that whatever she had to say was gossip. Hermione wasn't into gossip, but knew it had to be good. It was the day after the Yule Ball for Merlin's sake.

"And then, this morning he just walked into my room and woke my up with a good fuck. It was amazing." Pansy started out with.

"Wait, wait... you and Draco are back together? That's so good. You are such a cute couple, Pansy."

"I know. And his parents actually approve of me."

"Wait, so what was he doing with the Mudblood last night at the ball?"

"Oh, he lost a bet. He apologized furiously this morning for his affair with her. He said that he just couldn't get out of it. Drakie said he really wanted to go with me, but a bet is a bet."

"And how was the sex? As good as they say?"

"Even better. Though, I do admit, he smelled a little weird. I think it was the mudblood. If memory serves that whore was all over him last night."

At this Cassie couldn't take anymore. She took a few strides across the Tower room, and opened the door, slamming it shut behind her. Hermione heard yells and arguing. She looked at the door, and smiled a sad smile. She walked across to the railing, and put one leg over then the other. She clung to the railing with her arms behind her.

She listened to the chirping birds, and the rustling trees, and the lapping water. She knew the circle of life and understood it well.

Hermione closed her eyes and allowed herself to become immersed in the nature around her. And as the ground rushed at her, she imagined what she might become in the next life.

**Review. Just don't kill me. See you after the End. :) Unless you review :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Alright...well I'm on my seventh chapter now and there's not half as many reviews as I've seen for other stories. But I guess whatever. It's ok I understand. :(**

**Anyway, just so you know, the story is nowhere close to being over. There are still many chapters to come. This chapter explains what happened after the last one. It's in past tense... **

**Please REVIEW! PLEASE?**

**Thank you to voldyismyfather for reviewing. **

**voldyismyfather: Don't worry. but it's not poor hermione. you'll see.  
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**mountainash: Hope you read more than just the first chapter :) **

**And thank you to all who added me as their favorite or subscribed to this story :) It makes me feel good. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

**Two Years Gone**

The next few hours seemed like a blur. She had been yelling at Pansy when she heard screams coming from just outside. Cassie, Pansy, and the girl who had been with Pansy hurried back to the Tower room, and looked over the edge. There was Draco standing over Hermione's body, which was lying on the ground. Cassie, thinking the worst, rushed down the normal way to where Hermione lay.

She looked like she was dead, Cassie could see that she was still breathing, but she looked... too peaceful.

According to Draco, he had seen her falling and he caught her with a levitation spell. She had reached the ground safely, but was unconscious. With the help of Harry, they got Hermione to the Hospital Wing and into a bed under the supervision of Madam Pomfrey. Cassie was furious with her brother, only slightly believing the things that Pansy had said.

She forced him to tell her what really happened. According to Draco, Pansy had told Lucius and Narcissa about him and Hermione going to the Yule Ball together. Pansy thought that she and Draco had an understanding where they were going to end up together. But Draco never made such an agreement. He told Pansy to get lost and get over the fact that he really liked Hermione.

He told her that he was going to stay with her, and there was nothing she could do to stop that. Pansy got mad and wanted revenge on Hermione. She wanted Draco's to be hers and hers alone.

"But why would she throw herself off the Tower because Draco had pretty much slept with another girl? I understand that she was heartbroken, but there has got to be something more to this." Harry had said as the room grew silent. Cassie nodded, then informed them all that Hermione's last boyfriend had cheated on her with another girl.

The guy had been playing them both. He had given them the same beautiful bracelet and said the same cheesy line for both of them, and then attempted the same sleezy move on both of them.

Draco put his head in his hands and took a deep breath. Pansy had nearly killed this girl. Because of her stupid jealousy issues. Cassie watched her brother's reaction and knew that he hadn't been lying when he said that he didn't sleep with Pansy.

"Ok, so now we know why she did it. Pretty much every aspect of it. This is good. But when she wakes up, she's not gonna be happy." Harry said pacing a little bit as they all started thinking of what they could possibly say to Hermione. Harry didn't want to upset her anymore and was unsure of whether Draco should be there when they went to see her at first.

"She might close up if you're there, Draco. I believe you when you say you didn't do anything, but she doesn't know that. So she might get angry with me or Cassie if you're there. So maybe it should just be me or Cassie. You know?" Draco nodded. He understood what Harry was saying, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, it was best if he wasn't there when she finally woke up and could see people.

Suddenly Madame Pomfrey walked over to them and told them that Hermione was awake, but had asked to see no one. Pomfrey handed a letter to Harry and asked to send it to Hermione's parents. Harry nodded and went up to the Owlery. Draco and Cassie followed him, both of them wondering what the letter said. They weren't going to open it and find out, but they were still allowed to be curious.

Over the next few days, Hermione saw no one. Eventually her parents were there at Hogwarts. They didn't talk to her friends as they rushed to Madame Pomfrey and talked in hush voices with her. Cassie, Draco and Harry watched as Madame Pomfrey floated Hermione out of the infirmary with her parents close behind. She told the three friends to stay where they were and she would return in a few moments.

As Draco and Cassie watched the Grangers walk away with their daughter, they were trying to go over the last few days in their mind, wondering why on Earth she wouldn't want to talk to them. Cassie understood why she might not want to see Draco, but Cassie and Harry were always going to be there for her.

That was the last time they saw Hermione. According to Dumbledore, Hermione missed her Muggle friends and her parents and was going to give up her magic and return to the Muggle world. She would not be returning to the school and she was not going to respond to any owls, she was giving up this life.

When Draco heard that she was leaving he immediately went and chewed Pansy out. He yelled and screamed and eventually cried and sat in a deserted corridor wondering what he did to deserve this. Draco vowed that day to remain faithful to her no matter what happened. He would never date another girl, never kiss any one else, never be intimate or romantic or even friendly with another girl until she was his. And then he would never cheat on her, never do anything with another girl because she was his.

Draco remained at the top of the class. Though he felt bad, and somewhat lonely being the smartest in the class. He missed the way she would always know the answer, and the way she would always have advice on homework or how to start or end an essay.

Cassie took it hard as well. With Hermione gone, she had no one to keep her on track. Her grades took a small dip, but eventually got back up. It took a month or two, but eventually Cassie and her brother worked something out so that they would study together and imagine that Hermione was there with them, helping them and correcting them. It really helped and kept them in track and focused on what was important in life.

The next two years passed without too many bad things. Harry saved Victoria, and Fleur Delacour's younger sister during the Second Task, and during the Third Task, he was so caught up in helping Fleur fight off a strangely acting Viktor that Cedric got to the cup, and mysteriously disappeared. It was rumored that You-Know-Who was back and had taken Cedric trying to get Harry.

When Harry reappeared with an unconscious Viktor and a hurt Fleur, Mad Eye Moody went crazy. Dumbledore eventually realized that he was really Barty Crouch Jr. using Polyjuice Potion to get close to Harry. Dumbledore threw him to the Dementors, and Harry was ranked a hero, he technically came in first place what with all his points. But he would always shrug it off and say that Cedric was the real winner.

Harry used some of his fortune to place a small memorial for Cedric near the Quidditch Pitch. He always said it was the least he could do for Cedric who was always there for him.

Cedric's body reappeared months later at the beginning of Harry's fifth year in Harry's dorm room. No one believes that Harry had anything to do with Cedric's death, mainly because of the Veritaserum and questioning they put him through.

Lupin was rehired to be the DADA teacher, and Harry was excelling in classes; he was a close second behind Draco. He still hung out with Draco, Cassie, Victoria, and Ginny. And of course he was friends with Neville, Dean and Seamus. Harry never crashed Cassie and Draco's study things, he knew how much Hermione meant to the two Malfoys and studying was their way of dealing with her being gone.

When they had come back from summer break, Draco had told Harry off on the side, that Voldemort was back and that something didn't feel right. After the Feast, Draco and Harry went to go talk to Dumbledore, and that's when Neville found the body of Cedric Diggory. Dumbledore agreed that Voldemort was back and that cautions needed to be taken. Dumbledore sent a few letters and made some Floo Calls and by the second month of school, The Order of the Phoenix was back together.

The rest of the year was uneventful. Harry had a few weird dreams that Draco immediately saw something fishy about. He dragged Harry by the ear to Dumbledore's office and then helped Harry himself with Occlumency lessons. Within a month, Harry was quite good at Occlumens and was, literally, able to do it in his sleep.

At the end of the year there was a small problem in the Hall of Prophecies and Dumbledore had to reveal to Harry the Prophecy that was about him and Voldemort. Harry was a little outraged at first that he wasn't aware of all this from the beginning, but he eventually got over it and helped the rest of the Order figure things out.

Now it was the start of Harry's Sixth year, and things were going well. Harry lived mainly with Sirius, he only visited the Dursley's for a week so that the protection of Lily's blood would continue to work. Harry helped with the Order as much as he could. He convinced Cassie to convince her brother to convince her parents that they were no longer safe in the same place as Voldemort. Draco was nearly old enough to be admitted into the Death Eaters and unless they did something now, he would be forever branded with a mark that was despised and hated by many.

Draco and Cassie now live in a safe house. They usually go to the safe house during the holidays, but they do spend a lot of time over at Grimmauld Place, what with everyone being there.

Cassie was still going out with Fred, and they saw each other on the weekend and over the holidays. Ron had eventually gotten used to Cassie and they were now on speaking terms along with the rest of her friends, but he had friends of his own now and while they talked every now and then, he hung out with his own group.

Victoria and Harry were still going out as well, and they were pretty happy. Ginny however was done with Viktor, they had said goodbye at the end of the Triwizard Tournament. But towards the middle of the next year, she hooked up with one of Draco's friends, Blaise Zabini. They were doing quite well. Though Draco was always weird around them.

Draco was weird around any couple. The only girl he wanted to be with wasn't there.

Draco hadn't dated another girl since Hermione had left. He hadn't wanted to. He missed her, and he would give up his magic if he could find a way to be with her. He was going to prove it to her, one way or another. Draco never let Pansy live down what she had done to Hermione. She was eventually asked by Dumbledore to transfer to Beauxbatons to keep up the connection and communication between the two schools. Although everyone knew it was because of the tension and friction between her and Draco. No one wanted to be in an enclosed space with the two of them.

Cassie, Victoria, Harry, Ginny, and Draco had all gotten used to a life without Hermione always there. It was a boring life filled with the same things over and over again, but it was still pretty ok. It was better than a life of adventure and death and danger, they admitted. But something had always been off since Hermione left. They all really missed her.

Life was the same as it had always was when Dumbledore called attention to the breakfast. "Can I have Draco and Cassiopeia Malfoy please come see me real quick?" Draco and Cassie shared a look, then walked towards Dumbledore they had a good idea about what this was about. They had been expecting this talk for awhile. Ever since they had convinced their parents to move away to protect themselves from the Dark Lord.

Draco started thinking about how he would manage the estate now that his parents were dead. What he would do with the Elves and how extravagant he would make the funeral. But when he got up to Dumbledore he put those thoughts out of his mind - he had to concentrate on Dumbledore and what he was saying.

"I have some good news for you two." Well that wasn't what Draco was expecting. "You get to skip a few days of school. Though it is because of unfortunate circumstances that brings another into the safe house. Her parents died about a week ago in a car accident, and she has nowhere else to go. She sent me a letter asking me to allow her back to the school and a place to live. I have a feeling the best place for her to live is at the safe house with you two. Will you two mind terribly helping her out in the safe house and getting used to living in this world?" Dumbledore asked looking between the siblings.

"Wait, why is she moving into our safe house?" Cassie asked when no one else would talk.

"Because she has no one else. I would put her with the Weasley's but I'm afraid that might make it a bit more overloaded. And she's not old enough to be at Grimmauld Place. She still has a few more months until she's 17. I wish I could put her somewhere else, but she has nowhere else to go." Draco watched the old man talk, he was trying to figure out why the girl wouldn't have anyone else. It was the Wizarding World, everyone's connected here.

"Well that's only on the Holidays. Can't we help her move some other time? I mean, she's here right?" Dumbledore shook his head.

"Do you mean she's a Muggle?" Dumbledore looked apprehensively at Draco.

"I guess you could call her that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let's call her a girl who knows of our world. She is aware of all that is going on, and is not necessarily safe. I had her protected while she was out there, but with her parents gone, there is a good chance people will be able to find her again. And I don't want her to get hurt. None of us do. So I was hoping you could help her with her things, go to Diagon Alley. She'll need a few things now that she's moving in with the two of you. Please it would mean the world to her if she could see some friendly faces."

Draco was annoyed with his vague answers. He had no idea who this girl was, what she was like or even if she was to be trusted. For the time being he didn't want her anywhere near his little sister. But before he could say anything else, she agreed for the both of them. He just hoped that the old man knew what he was doing. It wouldn't be the first time he walked into something completely and totally blind.

**I hope you guys enjoyed it :) I'll update in a week. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So I waited a week, but I guess the hundreds of people who have viewed this story don't review... But whatever. **

**I saw Captain America last night and it was amazing! :D so excited for the Avengers movie. **

**This chapter won't reveal anything good to you guys, but I love me some mystery :) Enjoy!  
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**Please REVIEW! PLEASE?**

**Thanks to for reviewing! and I know it was weird, but it was the only way i could get through those two years without going into huge elaboration and boring you all. Hopefully it makes sense eventually :)**

**And thank you to all who added me as their favorite or subscribed to this story :) It makes me feel good. **

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

**The Safe House**

Cassie was so glad that they got to miss school just help someone move in. She, like her brother, was a little worried about who this girl might be. I mean you can't just let anyone live with a bunch of wizards. Dumbledore said she knew of this world. Did that mean that she was like some kind of…. Spy? Or like a prophecy maker? Or what?

She wasn't really sure what to make of this girl. Who would want her? What was so special about her that would make her wanted by dangerous people? And if she was so special, why had she been living with her parents this whole time? Cassie wasn't really liking this situation, but what better way to find out what was weird than to find out first hand by asking the person in charge of the weird.

"Yes, we'll help her." She said after a large silence. Draco looked at her like she was insane, but she understood what she was doing. She was skipping out on boring lessons and things her brother had taught her months before, she was missing out on homework that she had already done thanks to Hermione's good teaching skills, and boring lunches where everyone thought about the next time they were gonna get together with everyone next.

"Alright, I will allow you to go pack your bags, and I hope that within the hour you will be in my office, ready to leave for the safe house. The moment you are safely there, I will go and retrieve her from where she currently is staying and we will make friends and be happy. You'll help her move in, and Draco, I hope you can catch her up to speed as best as possible."

And with that they were dismissed to go pack. Draco looked at Cassie. "What did he mean by catch her up to speed? I thought she knew of everything going on?"

Cassie shrugged, obviously he was being vague for a reason. Though when she suggested that to Draco he glared at her. "He's being vague just to be vague. There is no determined reason. Go on, go pack, I'll wait for you at the bottom of the Main Stair case. Hurry up, I don't want to be waiting for you for too long." Draco said before hurrying off to the Dungeons.

Within a few minutes Cassie was back at the staircase and she was the one who was waiting. She had done it on purpose. She had never really unpacked her stuff since they had gotten back from summer vacation, so getting her stuff together was easy. She knew, however, that her brother was going to be flying around his dormitories trying to find all his stuff. He wasn't the neatest person in the world. And he was definitely not organized.

It was nearly 40 minutes later when Draco finally appeared. He looked at Cassie in disbelief, wondering how in the name of Merlin she was there before him. She was even sitting down, reading a magazine. She looked up at her brother and laughed. She would never tell her secret, her brother would get worried.

They walked together to Dumbledore's office, both of them imagining what this girl would be like.

Cassie imagined her as a sweet foreign girl who had watched a terrible crime and needed protection. She was thinking probably an Egyptian, with nice brown skin and dark black hair. She imagined the girl to be kind, and intelligent, but somewhat shy.

Draco imagined her to be an American. Probably one with that twangy accent. In his mind's eye she was gonna be sweet, but annoying and have that much too happy attitude about everything. He imagined she was probably one of the best spies in America. Because of her surprising looks and attitude they would never expect a martial arts master who could be a better ninja than half the Japanese population. *Yes he understood how slightly racist he was being*

They arrived at Dumbledore's office and immediately entered. Everyone who was friends with Harry knew that Jelly Beans was the password. He was constantly in and out of Dumbledore's office, as were they most of the time. Draco and Cassie made their way up the staircase and into the main office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, writing a few letters. Fawkes sat on a perch next to him and flew over to greet Cassie as she came in. Cassie would feed the Phoenix sweets when Dumbledore wasn't looking. She actually was Harry's companion when he came to talk to Dumbledore about something and while they were talking in private or visiting a memory in the Pensieve, she would sit outside and hang out with Fawkes.

"Hey Fawkes." She rubbing his head and discreetly giving him a treat. He cawed softly at her then flew back to his perch and started grooming his wings.

"Hello. Alright, now let's do this quickly, as I am sure you are anxious to meet this new roommate of yours." Dumbledore mumbled. Draco and Cassie shared a look. They were both eager to find out who was right. They were, of course, going to share notes later. They always did. It was their thing.

"Ladies first." Draco said bowing slightly to Cassie. She smirked and took a handful of powder and yelled her destination into the flames. She stepped in and in a flourish of green flame was gone. Draco did the same, and found himself in the safe house. Neither he nor Cassie really had a name for it. No one did. Everyone just called it the safe house.

"Now, wait here while I go get your house guest." Apparently Dumbledore had myriad of words to describe this person without actually describing them.

"It's funny how he has yet to describe her at all to us." Draco said as they walked towards their rooms. Cassie nodded, chuckling a little. The house was small but comfortably so. They had landed in the living room, which was large and had thousands of books in bookcases stacked up to the ceiling all the way around the room. It had two couches and a chair facing the fireplace. There was a large archway on one side of the room, opposite the fireplace, that opened up in to the hall that led from the door. Barely anyone used the door. Most everyone either used the Floo network or Apparated in.

When looking from the door however, on your right was the living room, and in front of you was two options, a hallway leading down to the kitchen or the stairs. Upstairs there were three bedrooms plus a large room. Normally it was called the master bedroom, but neither Cassie nor Draco wanted the huge room to themselves so they used that for their silent room.

They had had one in their mansion back home. What it is, is a room where you have no furniture, just bean bags, and rugs. Draco constantly liked to sit in there and read. There was incense and scented candles. And it was good for Cassie's meditating. Some days, when they didn't feel like hanging out with any one or doing anything, they would sit in there and just think or read, or meditate. It was a wonderful place to do it too. It was nice and large.

The hallway downstairs led to the kitchen, the family room, and the backyard. The kitchen was large and open. Both Cassie and Draco could cook so they were constantly using it. The family room was just a smaller version of the living room without the books. It was always dark and cool in the family room. They would sit in there and talk. It was connected to the kitchen so when one of them was cooking the other would hang out in the family room and talk.

The backyard was simple. There was a small garden that Cassie had tended to herself and a pool. It wasn't a large pool, just something small so that they could have a comfortable number of friends over and there was still enough room for more.

After Cassie and Draco settled into their rooms they went downstairs and sat in the living room. For a while they just sat there and waited. They started sharing their ideas of what the girl might be like. Cassie liked Draco's idea of her being a martial artist and the best spy in America and Draco liked the thought of her being from Egypt. They then created this person they thought she would be, neither of them particularly caring if they were right or wrong.

Cassie thought of school. She would be in History of Magic right now. She silently thanked Merlin for this. She hated that class, and the last time she was in there, she had snuck off into DADA. She wasn't necessarily a trouble maker, but she had a problem with authority, on most days. She was pretty good friends with Professor Lupin and constantly sat in his classroom just listening in on older classes.

But when Lupin was out, which was generally once a month, Snape was there and Cassie would sit in there annoying him. Snape could never get too unhappy with her. Severus had always been around when she was growing up, and she had eventually learned ways to make him smile and laugh and wrap him around her finger. Draco always found it funny to hear the door open when Snape was teaching DADA and hear him groan in exasperation when he saw it was Cassie.

Draco thought of what he would be doing in school. Right now would be... a free period. He would be sitting in the library reading a book. He then remembered that he was reading a Muggle book he had seen in this very library. It was a book Hermione had suggested to him multiple times. He was about halfway through it, for the fifteenth time, and loved it. Pride and Prejudice. He especially loved the part where Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and she refuses him. He would always yell at Lizzy to just accept the offer and yell at him later.

He quickly got up to retrieve the book, when he heard the familiar pop of an Apparition. He calmly turned away, though he was excited to see who this girl really was.

He took in her caramel eyes, her milky white skin, and dark brown, almost black hair. He saw the curve of her hips and concave of her waist. He saw her arms folded over her chest as she saw her roommates, the disapproving glare. The tight line of her mouth and the set of her jaw. Draco saw the beautiful woman standing in front of him and he felt nothing. Who was this girl?

**A/N: Like it? Then review it!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Alright. I'm still trying to figure out a place for this story to go right now. I've got at least one more chapter prewritten before I run out... But I will re read that chapter tomorrow after work and figure out a place for this story to go. :) Please read my other story Consequences of War! It's a few chapters away from ending! So please! read it! and review both this and that one :)**

**:) Hope you enjoy!  
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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

**The Roommate  
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"Cassie, Draco, I would like you to meet your new roommate." Dumbledore said. Cassie and Draco stared at the girl. She was definitely not what they expected. Cassie couldn't decide whether she looked familiar or not. Her straight black hair flowed down to her waist, and her left eye was covered by bangs. But her eyes were caramel, and her skin was milky smooth. She seemed like the perfect girl.

"Ok, can you tell us who she is?" Draco asked, stammering. The girl smirked and shook her head, before walking up the stairs and into the remaining bedroom. She slammed the door closed, and behind it they could hear her muttering darkly and slamming things across the room and unpacking.

"She is just a normal person. She has no specialties in martial arts, and isn't a ninja. Though she is quite good at spells. I don't know whether she has kept up her skills. But a few years go she was quite the knowledgeable witch. That's why I needed you guys here. You need to help her get back into the groove of things."

"Ok, so why must she be protected? She's not some governor's daughter, and she's not a princess. What happened that makes her need protection?" Cassie was very curious to know why she was being kept at the safe house. It wasn't safe to have someone who wasn't in danger at the safe house, and they had to make sure their own safety wasn't about to be compromised.

"It's not what happened or what she saw that makes her need protection. It's who she is. Now, I must really be going. I have a school to run, and letters to write. And plus, someone must annoy Severus if you won't Cassie." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. Cassie giggled as Dumbledore stepped into the fireplace and called his destination.

Draco looked at Cassie. This was going to be difficult. The girl seemed to not like them, and seemed very unhappy that she was there. "She just lost her parents, Draco. You can't blame her for being angry." Cassie said kindly. He shrugged.

"Well, how about you go talk to her. She seems like the kind of person who takes better to girls right now. She was full out glaring at me. So I'll sit around in here until you manage to get her in a better mood." Draco said looking down at his feet. Cassie gave him a sad smile, and patted him on the back. She handed him the book she knew he was looking for then headed off upstairs. Draco watched her go. Cassie was more like a best friend than a little sister sometimes.

"Hey, umm, my name's Cassie. I was wondering if I could come in?" Cassie asked knocking on the new girl's door. The door opened and there stood the girl again. Her hair was up in a sloppy bun, with a few pieces hanging down near her face. She smiled lightly, and allowed Cassie in. The room was pretty organized. She seemed to be putting away just her clothes for now.

Cassie watched as she took out neatly folded shirts and put them in drawers. Whoever this girl was she was very organized. As she bent over to get something out of her bag, Cassie saw a small black tattoo on her lower back. It said 'Never Forgive, Never Forget'. Cassie smiled. Her kind of girl.

As Cassie watched the girl, she was getting towards the bottom of her duffel bag, even with what seemed to be an Extending Charm on it. And she saw clothes she had no idea this girl could ever have. She saw a Hogwarts uniform and the black material of a Hogwarts robe. This girl used to go to their school. But then...

"A Hogwarts uniform? How do you have one of those?" Cassie asked before she could stop herself. The girl turned around and smiled at Cassie. One of those 'You-know-exactly-what-that-means' kind of looks.

"No way..."

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><p>Draco sat reading Pride and Prejudice, and found himself thinking about Hermione. He wondered where she was, and how she was doing. He really wanted to see her again. He couldn't take just sitting around, waiting for the girl to warm up to him and his sister. He quickly scrawled a short note to Cassie and walked out the door, trying to be as quiet as he could.<p>

He was just going for a walk, and was hoping to go eat at a cafe real quick. He didn't get to finish his lunch and was starving.

The safe house wasn't located in a main part of London. It was actually only a few blocks away from Grimmauld Place. They were most definitely within walking distance of each other, and there was quite a large Wizarding Community just a little ways away from the safe house, in the opposite direction of Grimmauld Place, though.

It was a nice little neighborhood. There were a few shops and cafes that were open to Muggles and Wizards alike, the owners themselves accepted both kinds of currency and got quite a bit of business. It was always a good thing living in a Wizarding community, without actually living in a Wizarding city. There were a few here and there.

They weren't anything special, just cities that seemed to attract more Wizards than Muggles. Usually there were spells against Muggles entering, just because sometimes it was for the better interest of the Muggles to keep them out. But for the most part, Wizards liked to live in a mixed setting. Where there were a few wizards, and a few Muggles, to keep things in order.

Draco simply walked down, past Grimmauld Place, and on a bit more, and then crossed the street and walked back. He loved walking, especially in this neighborhood. No matter how long he lived here, there would always be something new, something different about the place. He walked into this quaint little cafe, and waited in line. He knew the owners, and was liked by most of the regulars. It had been a normal haunt for him and his sister during the summer holidays. Even Harry had come along once or twice. It had some of the best coffee and tea that Draco had ever had.

He ordered a small coffee and made it the way he liked it, and grabbed a Daily Prophet. The owners always kept two newspapers, one for Muggles, one for Wizards. And they had some magazines from both worlds. Draco loved this place, because the Muggles couldn't see the Wizarding things, and the Wizards got to experience Muggle food and drink.

Draco would be the first to admit that he wasn't so sure about the place at first. He thought the people were crazy for doing this. But then as he watched people mingle, Wizards talking with Muggles about things like the weather and the pastries, he saw that it was a pretty good system. The Muggles were none the wiser and snobby wizards like himself became more informed on the goings on of Muggles and how they weren't really different. Now he could understand why Hermione had left the Wizarding world behind.

Draco watched Muggles very closely. He was currently taking Muggle Studies. He was totally and completely prepared to give up his magic if he could be with her. Even for the chance to be with her, he would give all this up. He knew how to use a TV and a DVD player. He and Mr. Weasley had talked on many occasions about Muggle devices and how things worked. He actually found a good portion of it interesting.

But all that was needed was for him to find Hermione, and convince her that he really did love her as much as he said he did.

Draco sat down at a small table and sipped at his coffee, trying to figure out how to find Hermione. He could probably get a job with the Postmen, and see if anything for a Granger came through. Especially a Hermione Granger. If he could find her before it was too late...

Suddenly Draco saw how late it was getting. He needed to get back to the house. On the way back, he thought about the girl. Whatever her name was. Then he realized he hadn't learned her name yet. He shrugged it off, he didn't care. She seemed to hate him, so be it. He didn't have an obligation to be nice to her.

Dumbledore had said to try and help her. If she was unwilling to be helped, that was her problem, not his.

Draco made his way back to the safe house, his mind on Hermione the whole time. He needed to talk to Cassie, she always knew how to make him feel better when he was feeling this way. It wasn't that he was sad, he just didn't want to do anything.

He wasn't terribly, heart broken in love with Hermione. He just always felt guilty that he hadn't made his intentions known to her. He wished he had made it extremely clear that there was no way possible for him to cheat on her. He wished he had warned her about Pansy ahead of time. He wished that he had shown her the letter, then laughed it off with her before going and chewing out Pansy.

He should have known his parents wouldn't have cared about him dating her. He should have known that his parents would have been fine with it, had he only talked with them about it before hand...

He walked in the door and found his sister coming out of the other girl's room, her eyes wide.

"We have to talk. Right now." She said urgently.

"Ok, what about?" He asked sitting down on one of the couches.

"It's about Hermione."

**A/N: WHAAAA? please review! the more reviews the quicker i'll feel happy to update and keep writing :D**


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